Graphics:

Sound:

Fans are in for a treat, with memorable melodies dating back to Mario's earliest days. The new music is also catchy, making for one of Nintendo's better scores

Playability:

Easy to pick up and play, but loaded with enough depth to keep you going until well after the credits roll. Mario and all of his transformations are a blast to control

Entertainment:

With hundreds of moons to collect and a dizzying number of secrets to unearth, Super Mario Odyssey is a monster of a game that rarely dips in the fun department

Replay:

High

When it comes to Nintendo's stable of iconic characters, the Switch is off to an amazing start. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild launched to a chorus of "best ever" proclamations, and similar sentiment will undoubtedly (and rightfully) be showered upon Super Mario Odyssey. Where Breath of the Wild reinvented the Zelda experience, Odyssey is more of a structural sequel, reacquainting gamers with the rambunctious, free-form 3D play coined in Super Mario 64, but in a much bigger way than we've seen before.

Odyssey is a love letter to that Nintendo 64 classic, with tips of the hat and references littered liberally throughout. It also brings back the look and play of Mario's first 8-bit adventure for a variety of wonderful challenges. These connections to the past produce a nostalgic charm that is always present and worthy of a smile, but Mario's history doesn't dominate this experience - it just makes it more meaningful for longtime fans. A number of the callbacks are clever, fun, and bigger than you'd expect.

Performing a triple-jump maneuver is a clear reference to the 64-bit heritage, as the animations and timing are nearly identical, but the historical elements are just the tip of the iceberg in what is easily Mario's biggest and most adventurous game to date. I'd argue that the former plumber isn't even the star of this game; that honor goes to Cappy, his new symbiotic hat that does most of the work for combat and exploration. Cappy is a ghostly entity gifted with the power of possession. When he latches onto an enemy's head, Mario becomes that foe, and the player controls it.

A CAPTIVATING ADVENTURE

Explore incredible places far from the Mushroom Kingdom as you join Mario and his new ally Cappy on a massive, globe-trotting 3D adventure. Use amazing new abilities - like the power to capture and control objects, animals, and enemies - to collect Power Moons so you can power up the Odyssey airship and save Princess Peach from Bowser's wedding plans!

An adventure so big, no one kingdom can hold it

Explore astonishing new locales like skyscraper-packed New Donk City to your heart's content, and run into familiar friends and foes as you try to save Princess Peach from Bowser's dastardly wedding plans.

Mario's classic moves are joined by a variety of incredible new moves

Thanks to heroic, hat-shaped Cappy, Mario's got new moves that'll make you rethink his traditional run-and-jump gameplay - like cap jump, cap throw, and capture. Use captured cohorts such as enemies, objects, and animals to progress through the game and uncover loads of hidden collectibles.

Crazy Cap is THE must-shop stop for savvy travelers

Be sure to bring any coins you find to a Crazy Cap store, where you can exchange them for decorative souvenirs for the Odyssey and new outfits for Mario! Some destinations have very exclusive dress codes, after all...

Play Super Mario Odyssey with a friend

Hand a Joy-Con controller to a friend to enjoy simultaneous multiplayer: Player 1 controls Mario while Player 2 controls Mario's new ally Cappy.